DO YOU NEED A SMOKE ALARM OR A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR WE HAVE THEM FOR FREE - Contact Bob Faugh @ 533-1892

RUSH FIRE DISTRICT – NEWSLETTER INFO FEBRUARY/MARCH

FIRE DISTRICT: The organizational meeting was held on January 2nd. Bob Faugh was elected as Chairman and Larry Meston was elected as vice-chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners. Robert Kuhls was appointed as Treasurer and Karen Wanderslaben was appointed to the Secretary position. The Fire Commissioners meeting will be held the third Tuesday, 7 pm at station one. All of our meetings are open to the public. 

FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AMBULANCE: The three Chiefs were approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners and the line officers for the department were approved by the Board of Directors at their organizational meeting. See web site for complete list.  

FIRE DISTRICTS COSTS: A recent article in the Democrat and Chronicle showed the increase in Monroe County Fire Districts tax rate levies. Our district had a 34% increase over 10 years. The inflation rate over that period was 32%.  During that 10 year period we finished a major addition to station one, updated the West Rush station, completely replaced our radios and paging system and purchased a $320,000 pumper tanker fire truck. Ridge Culver had a 288% increase. North Greece 219%, Ridge Road 161% and Henrietta 124%. All these district have paid staff on duty 24 hours a day. The average was 105%.  A map in the same article showed fire station locations with the ideal situation being no residence more than 1.5 miles from a fire station. Based on dense population locations in the town 70 % of the Rush residents are within that 1.5 miles circle. 100% within a 3 mile radius of a fire station (Incl. Henrietta, Scottsville, Honeoye Falls, Avon & East Avon.)    

ANNUAL REPORT:  

Total of 372 Fire & EMS Calls for 2009. That is a call every 23.5 hours.  We had an average of 18 Firefighters respond to any calls that sounded serious. We had one serious property loss fire had no injury or deaths involved in any fires.  We still report many false alarms. PLEASE, if your system goes off call 9-1-1 and tell them what is going on. DO NOT RELY on your system for our response. (The little boy that cried wolf syndrome is not a myth)  

Total Ambulance Calls 221 or 60% of our responses. In addition another 18 ambulance responses were emergency scene stand bys.  (239) We responded to  37 MVA’s. We only had to use our heavy extrication equipment on 3 calls. We transported 143 patients with another 26 being transported by an full ALS/BLS  ambulance.  We used an ALS “fly car” Medic on 60 calls. Henrietta Ambulance provided 95% of our ALS for 2009.   

Our average response time to get a properly equipped "first responder" EMT on scene was 5 to 6 minutes 90% of the time. This response time is exceptional and beat almost everyone in Monroe Co. most of which are paid services. We have two "first responder" officer’s cars with AEDs and plan on two more to be equipped with automatic defribrillators (AED’s). Several others officers have basic life support equipment that respond to the scene.  

3,000 man/women hours were expended on these calls. All these hours were donated by your relatives, friends and neighbors. Another 3,500 hours were donated for training, seminars, drills, carnival, maintenance on equipment/ buildings and local, regional and state meetings. 

RESCUE TRUCK SOLD: The Rushville Fire Department has purchased our 1991 Rescue truck that we are replacing in the spring. It sold for $60,000. This money will go back into the vehicle replacement fund.  

FUND DRIVE: We have received over $50,000 from the 2009 annual fund drive. Thank you very much! The per resident donation is unmatched ANYWHERE in western NY state. 70% of our residents donated. The money goes for general operations such as Fire Prevention, Girl/Boy Scouts and Explorer sponsorships, training/seminars, fire and EMS equipment, office costs and the rest into Rescue Truck and Ambulance replacement funds. No fund drive money is ever used for our few social functions.  

FIRE PREVENTION: Keep up the good work, watch those candles and wood stoves. Keep the hydrant near your home clear of snow.  Let’s continue to have a safe winter!   

WHY NO TELEMARKERTERS:  The NYS Attorney General reports on average, just 39.5 cents of every charitable dollar raised by professional telemarketing companies in 2008 actually went to charity,  If you get called on the phone it is one of these outfits.

According to the report, telemarketers raised $204.8 million on behalf of 444 charities statewide in 2008. Of that, $123.9 million, or 60.5 percent, was paid to the telemarketers in the form of profits, administrative costs or operating costs, leaving charities with 39.5 percent of the money actually raised for their causes.

Charitable organizations in the eight Western New York counties, including numerous police and firefighters groups, fared even worse. Just 29 percent of the $1,712,233.50 that telemarketers raised in their name actually made its way into the charities’ coffers. All most 3/4 of the money went to the telemarketers, some took as much as 85%. 

Web site, www.oag.state.ny.us . This online list makes it easier to check how much goes to fundraisers and how much goes to charities and “will ensure that people looking to give this holiday season can make an informed decision before they donate, and hopefully will encourage giving to those charities which keep and use more of the funds raised,” Cuomo said.

EXPLORERS SCOUTS: We are looking for new explorers.  It is not all work and no play, they learn CPR and how to respond in emergency situations along with social events.  If you have a boy or girl 14 or older who maybe interested call Royer Pfersick at 533-9123.  

Are you interested in being a volunteer firefighter or emergency medical technician? If you are - call 533-2058 and leave your name and number. You can down load an application from our web site and also see the benefits and obligations for a firefighter in the recruitment area of our web site. Boys and Girls 14 years old or older can join the Explorer post!